If a business wants to make a splash in the global market, it needs to gain a stranglehold over the stock exchange. Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd, the distillery behind China’s national spirit, knows that better than most. Having already ousted Diageo from the top of the tree as the world’s most valuable liquor manufacturer in 2017, Kweichow Moutai is now the biggest public company in China.
The popularity of Moutai appears not to have been impacted by Coronavirus, with the share sales increasing by 23% in 2020. This means that Kweichow Moutai Co. Ltd boasts a share value of some £205 billion. For comparison, the biggest bank in the nation – the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China – boasts a share value of ‘only’ £200 billion.
Coronavirus has had a significant impact on countless industries, but hospitality has arguably been hit hardest. Social distancing regulations have led to worldwide shutdowns of bars and hotels, which has naturally had a knock-on effect on the alcohol trade. Baijiu sales overseas were already struggling, and now it appears that India may stop consuming the spirit due to political differences with China.
India does not have a liquor to call their own. While baijiu is as synonymous with China as vodka is with Russia, the Indian market settles for replicating traditional European recipes. These spirits are referred to as Indian-made foreign liquor, aka IMFL. The distributor VBev India, however, brought Jiangxiaobai baijiu into the nation some seven months ago.
Whiskey is by far the most popular spirit in India, accounting for around 75% of liquor sales. Indian nationals were starting to develop a taste for baijiu, however. That’s according to Sumedh Singh Mandla, CEO of VBev India, who described the Chinese spirit as having a tropical taste comparable to pineapple.
It’s no secret that baijiu is big business in China. A successful distillery of this spirit can turn an enormous profit, and if floated on the stock exchange, the prospects are even better. This has not escaped the attention of Dr. Wang Junlin, a master investor that has reversed the fortunes of countless baijiu brands in the Sichuan province.
Dr. Junlin is the majority shareholder of the Sichuan Langjiu Group Co. Ltd, manufacturers of the Langjiu baijiu. Dr. Junlin has a hand in 76.7% of Langjiu’s shares, whether directly or otherwise. Despite parting with some 70 million shares, he remains in possession of 68% of the company.
As a result of the sale of these shares, however, Langjiu is set to be listed on the stock exchange. Other baijiu brands already hold this distinction, including Wuliangye, Shede Wine, Luzhou Laojiao and Shui Jing Fang. The presence of Dr. Junlin in this deal is interesting though, as he is believed to be the wealthiest man in the liquor industry. Dr. Junlin’s personal net worth is believed to top £1.5 billion.
Dr. Junlin enjoys a stellar reputation in the realm of Sichuan wine. Born in Renshou in 1967, Dr. Junlin studied at the Southwestern Medical University (then known as Luzhou Medical College) to earn his medical degree. In the early 1990s, Dr. Junlin also held the position of director of Chengdu Enwei Group Research Institute.
In 1992, Dr. Junlin took on a new career path. He began work at the Pharmaceutical Factory, an enterprise owned by the Luzhou state, as a Director. The factory was struggling financially at the time, with an annual income of just £220,000. Dr. Junlin oversaw privatisation that ensured this income rose to a staggering £50 million.
Baijiu is a source of cultural fascination in China, and distilleries are hoping to replicate this overseas. Cheng International, one of the biggest distributors and importers of baijiu, are taking this ball and running with it. As of July 2020, a four-part online masterclass aimed at the British alcohol trade will unfold over Zoom.
Naturally, there is also a sales element at play. The masterclass is designed to show that baijiu can be a big seller within the European spirit trade. Lessons on concocting the perfect baijiu cocktail will also be provided, as will insights into pairing baijiu with the perfect meal. Samples will also be provided at a cost, of which £5 of every sale will be donated to The Drinks Trust.
If you are a part of the alcohol industry in the UK and would like to attend this masterclass, the first session is free for the initial 100 sign-ups. Point your browser to www.bomci.chengintl.co.uk to reserve your place. If you’re unavailable, don’t worry too much. You’ll find everything you could ever wish to know right here on www.baijiublog.com too.
Issues with lorries and heavy goods vehicles on the motorway are no fun at all, often leading to lengthy traffic jams and delays. Spare a thought for the driver that spilt hundreds of boxes of Moutai from his delivery in Shanghai. Not only is this city famously busy, but his cargo was truly precious.
It appears that the driver was attempting a U-turn in the Changning District, one of the most populous parts of Shanghai. In doing so, the side of the truck opened. Over a thousand crates of Moutai proceeded to tumble into the road.
So far, so unfortunate. Accidents happen. Sadly, the driver’s production line is unlikely to be quite so understanding. When we consider that the average bottle of Moutai retails for around £100, that potentially is six figures of lost revenue spilt on the streets of Shanghai. Throw in the prestige of this spirit and you have a recipe for a storm.
Chinese liquor giant Kweichow Moutai Co plans to expand into the health tonic liquor market by partnering with Xiuzheng Pharmaceutical Group. The two companies have signed a strategic partnership agreement to start cooperation production and sale of the liquor. The two companies also plan to set up a joint venture.
Moutai Chairman Yuan Renguo said health tonic liquor was a major new business of the company during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), in response to surging demand for health-related products.
Lockdown has taken its toll on a number of relationships throughout the world, as couples are forced into closer proximity than ever before. China is no exception, with divorce rates spiking dramatically when the country came out of quarantine.
With this in mind, spare a thought for a now-infamous aircraft passenger known only as, “Ms. Li.” Li was a passenger on Loong Airlines Flight 8528, transporting travellers from Xining Caojiabao in Qinghai to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International in Zhejiang. Ms Li was visibly upset, weeping openly in her seat.
It was believed that she was intoxicated … and so it proved to be. Ms. Li had drunk around half a litre of baijiu before boarding the plane, in the form of two 250 ml bottles.
No matter how ironclad your constitution and tolerance may be, that’s a powerful amount of alcohol. The explanation offered was that her partner had ended their relationship, seemingly immediately prior to the plane departing, and Ms. Li was determined to drown her sorrows.
Unfortunately, things took something of a turn. Upset by the news, and powered by baijiu, Ms. Li began a display of strength comparable to a comic book superhero. As her distress grew, she managed to physically smash an airplane window in mid-flight. Thankfully just the first layer was impacted, so nobody was hurt – including Ms. Li.
As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to rage throughout the world, individual nations are taking steps towards life after COVID-19. Unsurprisingly, China is currently furthest into this process. Acting as Ground Zero for the virus, dealing with its consequences longer than any other country, China has managed to get infection rates under control according to news coming out of China.
As we all know, however, we still need to Be Alert. China is looking at how to reduce the risk of a new, even more decimating wave of the infection. One suggestion, in particular, has caught the eye – and, if enacted, it will have significant ramifications on the baijiu industry.
The city of Hangzhou, located in the Zhejiang province, introduced health codes at the peak of the Coronavirus crisis in February. These codes were installed on citizen’s cell phones via a QR code. In order to enter Hangzhou, individuals were asked to reveal their recent travel history and any potential health conditions they lived with.
The worldwide economy has taken a drastic hit in 2020 following the impact of Coronavirus. It’s arguable that that China has suffered as has the rest of the world, acting as Ground Zero for the events that dominate our headlines. China now seems to be emerging from the COVID-19 nightmare – with baijiu manufacturers leading the charge toward economic recovery.
Wuliangye Yibin Co Ltd owns a major distillery based in the Sichuan province of China’s southwest. The business, best known for its eponymous Wuliangye strong aroma baijiu, has made significant investment into the foundations of the distillery. In excess of £1billion has been sunk into improving infrastructure, ensuring that the strong demand for baijiu from Chinese nationals will be matched by increased production capacity.
There are a number of factors that affect the price of Moutai, below we will highlight the main events in history that are primarily responsible for lending to the aura, mystique and romance created around the Moutai brand.
Maotai or Moutai which it is also known, is more than just a spirit in China. Maotai is part publicly traded and part state-owned producer and is the world’s most valuable liquor brand by market valuation.
Moutai being a favourite of Communist Party leaders has elevated the brand to the status of National Liquor. It’s what Mao Zedong and his comrades toasted with at the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. Moutai was the preferred brand of Chinese premier Zhou Enlai, second only to Mao in hierarchy and power. Since the 1950s Moutai has been the chosen brand to be served at all state banquets and has been served to a host of leaders including Kim Il Sung, Ho Chi Minh as well as Charlie Chaplin and president Nixon and many more people of power and influence.
The actual makeup and taste of Moutai is not that different from many other quality sauce aroma baijiu’s produced in China, but what is different is the perception around the brand and the amount of face one will receive when giving a bottle of Moutai as a gift, a soft bribe or busting one open at a banquet.
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